


A Night Out in Holoska

by That_one_person_022



Series: From Past to Future [2]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Blazamy (mentioned), Emotions, Guilt, Hand Touches, Holoska, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Maria Robotnik (mentioned) - Freeform, Pre-Sonic Forces, Sad with a Happy Ending, Self-Hatred, Shadow too, Smiles, Sonic the Hedgehog Needs a Hug, Space Colony ARK, complicated feelings, hand holding, laughing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:20:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29031564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_one_person_022/pseuds/That_one_person_022
Summary: Sonic and Shadow always raced and sparred, spending time together more and more as the days passed by. However, this time, they took a trip to Holoska, just in time for the Ice Fest. After testing their skills in every competition the festival hosted, they decided to spend the night there as well. Sonic never thought that Shadow the Hedgehog was a different person when it came to watching the starry sky.
Relationships: Shadow the Hedgehog & Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog
Series: From Past to Future [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2129772
Comments: 18
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone! Today, I decided to do something different. Instead of posting a new chapter for Secrets and Lies, I decided to share this one-shot. I highly recommend that you read the story (Secrets and Lies) since there are some references from that storyline, but I think you can still read it as a stand-alone, might be hard to understand some of Sonic's thoughts though.
> 
> This took place before Eggman's attacks in Sonic Forces.

The air was cold that day, but Sonic didn’t really care. It was always cold in Holoska, anyway. Emerald eyes took in the scene below him, glowing fires that looked like fireflies, and small homes dressed in masses of rainbow lights. Every single home lit up the town, probably seen as a beacon of light from far away. But really, Holoska was beautiful. The villagers were some of the kindest people the blue hero had ever encountered, which in his opinion, made the place look more _lively_. 

Sure, it was even more so today since it was the Ice Fest. This infamous event involved a variety of activities, from Swedish delicacies to skiing competitions, the last being his favorite part. During this time, Holoska attracted many people and mobians, alike, who stayed in the resort, located somewhere in the middle between the village and the ancient temple that rested over the highest mountain. So, it wasn’t much of a surprise that Sonic came over as well. He last visited the place over a few months ago, but this time it was different.

He looked over to his side, catching sight of dark quills and crimson stripes that heavily contrasted against the white of the snow, with soft fluff sticking out of the half-way zipped up jacket, a familiar G.U.N. logo on the sidearm. Familiar skates placed on the frosty snow, slowly brushing it side to side as the dark legs continued to swing. He returned his gaze from the skates to the agent’s face, who was looking up, watching the moon hang in the darkness to light up Holoska’s beauty even more. A small smile grazed the tan muzzle, crimson eyes filled with something that Sonic knew all about.

Shadow had joined him for this visit. 

At first, it had been difficult to contact the dark hedgehog, seeing as he was grilled by G.U.N. constantly for missions, which made him wonder how much his rival had slept over the last week. Even the Ultimate Lifeform had to have a limit, even if said person was too stubborn to admit it. Sonic smiled at that, knowing perfectly well that he was no different. Running was something made for him, born to do it, and it made him feel better after sprinting down the coastlines of Emerald Coast or across the streets of Apotos. But when he had someone to race against with, then it was better yet. Nothing made him feel more exhilarated than racing with Shadow. The striped hedgehog was the only one that could keep up with him. Sonic smiled again, remembering their famous races, and most recently, the renowned competitions they participated in during the Ice Fest. 

Both of them had explored every area where being the best at something was the goal. They each tallied every game they won first place in, trying to see who outdid the other, but in the end, both ended up tying. After some bickering about who did better, Sonic, of course, knew it was him, even if his dark rival said otherwise, they headed to some stalls to get some food. Another great part about the Ice Fest. Holoska was well known for its famous hot chocolate and cardamom buns, the latter being something he recommended the broody hedgehog to taste. He knew the spicy and citrusy flavors were perfect for someone like him. After all, when Sonic had gotten his first bite, an image of Shadow flashed in his mind, a common occurrence nowadays. 

Once they had satisfied their hunger, which was quite large given their morning competitions, they had settled to find a place at the resort to spend the night, separate rooms, of course. But before they each headed to their rooms, Sonic had suggested spending some time outside in the night sky, mentioning something about building a small bonfire for them.

So, here they were, sitting on a large log, which his emerald eyes had seen when they came out, with the crackling fire keeping them warm from behind. Even so, they each still brought a jacket because nights in Holoska dropped several degrees. Shadow sat on the left and Sonic sat on the right. The log was pretty large, yet they sat close enough for their shoulders to graze each other when they shifted. The cobalt hedgehog had let out a joke about Shadow finally letting him get close enough without beating the shit out of him. Shadow had scoffed and grumbled out something about staying warm in this freezing place. Sonic had laughed, but deep down, he knew the striped hedgehog was a walking furnace, not needing more than the jacket to keep himself warm. But he didn’t say that, not when he rarely had Shadow this close to him, able to smell the other’s scent and sneak glances at his usually stoic face up close.

Sonic was really glad the agent had decided to join him, but he had hoped that their day would never come to an end. Sometimes, he wished time would slow down for him, even if he religiously followed the fast track. His emerald eyes looked up at the sky, joining his counterpart to admire the dark blue, almost black, night, where stars blinked back at them from their place next to the shining moon. His peach lips sighed, taking in the beautiful night and the warm presence next to him. 

“Thank you for taking your time to bring me here to experience this.”

His blue ears flickered at the sound of the deep voice. He allowed himself to peek at the agent’s face, still staring at the star-speckled sky. Another smile made its way onto his peach muzzle, and Sonic realized that he had smiled more today than any other day. Gazing back at the beauteous night sky, the blue hero responded with a soft laugh, a small puff of air dancing its way out into the cold air.

“First, you let me get close enough to you without getting a broken nose, and now you’re thanking me for spending time with my favorite rival. Who are you, and what have you done with the real Shadow?”

He felt the crimson-striped hedgehog shift next to him but didn’t move farther away. No, if anything, Sonic felt him closer, feeling the warm presence more this time. It felt really nice. It had been so long since he was this close to his rival. His mind took a trip down memory lane, to a time that Sonic still had trouble accepting. The last time he was this close, no closer, to his rival was when the Ark incident happened… 

Deciding to relish this rare moment with the broody hedgehog, which apparently he wasn’t today, he shook his head, and let his mind commit this moment to memory instead. 

“It’s called having manners, hedgehog, unlike you…”

Emerald eyes snapped to his rival, his hand finding its way to his chest, and released an overdramatic gasp. 

“How _dare_ you?! I’ll have you know that I am nothing but a gentleman!”

This time, crimson eyes looked into his emerald ones and that signature smirk that made his hedgehog heart flutter appeared on the tan muzzle. This was definitely his best day, he thought. 

“Is that right? Then how come I always hear Rose complaining about your horrible table manners, something about chewing with your mouth open and putting your feet on the tab—”

“That’s not true!”

Well, it was sometimes, maybe completely, true. But to his defense, it was his home, so really, Amy had no right to tell him to sit straight and with his feet on the ground. 

“So, you’re calling her a liar?”

Damn it, Shadow. The last thing Sonic needed was to have an angry Amy Rose chase him down for calling her a liar when in reality, she wasn’t wrong about his manners. Tails would even scold him for having his red shoes on the dinner table. It felt like the kit was the older brother of the two.

“N-no…but sometimes, she exaggerates her point, you know.”

He must have reflected the horrific thought of being beaten up with the signature piko-piko hammer on his face because the next thing he knew, Shadow was laughing at him, multiple puffs of cloud making their way out of tan lips. His blue ears soaked in the deep, rumbling laughter of his rival. Sonic just found his new favorite sound.

“Hey! It’s not funny! Besides, since when do you and Amy share gossip? She’s always too busy to make me her famous red velvet cake these days…”

The dark hedgehog’s laughter came to a slow stop, taking his hands outside the jacket’s pockets and placing them flat on the log. The hero’s eyes quickly looked down at the other’s right hand, fingerless gloves instead of the typical white ones adorned it. Well trimmed claws, but still sharper than his own peach ones, were exposed to the chilly air, where the only spectators were his emerald eyes, winking stars, and pale moon. He averted his eyes back to the agent's face when he spoke again.

“We don’t _gossip_ , and for your information, Blaze and her always come over on Sundays for brunch…and she always makes _me_ her famous red velvet cake.”

The cobalt hero didn’t know if to be surprised that Shadow spends his Sunday mornings with Blaze and Amy, thinking that Rouge and Omega were automatically there since Team Dark shared an apartment, or to be offended that one of his best friends would spoil his rival rather than him. Clearly, he needed to have a talk with Amy about this.

“And _she_ complains about me!”

Tan lips snickered at his outburst. Oh, good gracious, even the small sounds made his heart bloom with eagerness to hear more. The blue hero did right by asking Shadow to spend some time together under the glowing sky. 

“Jokes aside, how are the girls?”

Shadow sighed, fondness filling those crimson irises, and smiled.

“They’re doing better now.”

Sonic knew about the whole thing between Amy and Blaze having problems. To think that they said him and Shadow were stubborn, those girls were a lot worse when it came to each other. Honestly, though, who could blame them. It was clear that the pink hedgehog and purple feline were really in love. They just found it hard to accept each other’s duties, both having equally dangerous roles.

“Funny, they say we’re the stubborn ones, huh?”

His dark rival, who kept his eyes on the round moon, nodded.

“I completely agree with you on that, faker.”

He chuckled, finding himself shifting his hands, too, now. Unlike Shadow, his peach hands were not covered by any fabric, leaving his bare hands for those near him to see. The air was biting at them, but he still placed them on the bark, next to dark fingers, leaving a whisper of a centimeter or two of space between them.

"Look at us! We're agreeing now! Should I start calling you my BFF?"

Just as those words left his lips, dark quills whipped around, and a baffling look was on Shadow's face. It was now his time to give his own belly laugh. It was always fun to see different expressions on that stoic face, especially this one. 

"Y-you should have s-seen your f-face…it's s-so h-hil…oh god…I j-just can't!"

Sonic really tried to keep it in, knowing very well that the hedgehog sitting next to him could chaos spear him in half, but he just couldn't. Peach arms wrapped themselves around his stomach and emerald eyes tried to stay open, failing at the end. Through his fit of laughter and barely open eyes, he saw a fond smile on Shadow. Evidently, this was what almost caused the cobalt hedgehog to choke. Almost.

"Are you done?"

He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye and gave his dark counterpart his signature thumbs up and grin. Attentive of all of the agent's reactions, his emerald eyes caught the faint blush from his cheeks. Maybe it was the cold, he thought. He hoped it wasn't though. 

"Come on, Shadz, you're telling me we don't have anything in common?"

The striped hedgehog hummed before giving Sonic his most serious face of the night.

"No."

This time, it was his turn to scoff at that ridiculous answer.

"Oh yeah, what about running? Or sparring? Or competing? Or---"

"Those are just physical activities that I endure with you because I still can't find another person that can keep up with me."

He didn't even let Sonic finish, and he was okay with that. Why? Because Shadow's words made his heart do backflips, somersaults, and everything in between. Sure, the broody hedgehog meant it in a different context, but a guy can dream. 

"All I'm hearing is excuses! Plus, I'm pretty sure _we_ share other interests."

"Name one."

"There's…"

He frowned. His mind tried to scramble for any memory, any clue, any indication that Shadow had shown interest in something he did.

"I told you—"

Then, he remembered something. His gaze turned towards the sky and pointed upwards.

"Stargazing!"

Shadow closed his mouth.

"What?"

Sonic glanced back at his questioning counterpart.

"We both like to stargaze!"

Crimson eyes widened at his answer, mouth opening and closing, but no words came out. He smirked at his rival. Sonic had just left Shadow the Hedgehog speechless! Now, that was a win. Or at least that was what he thought until he saw Shadow pout. But no, not just a normal pout. A _cute_ one. 

"How did you figure it out?"

Blinking away the shock of seeing his rival pout, cutely, of course, Sonic cleared his throat, hoping his face wasn't red.

"U-uh, you always mocked my lack of knowledge for star constellations, so…yeah I just guessed since you corrected me all the time, you must have spent a lot of time looking at the night sky to remember all that…"

The agent looked at him for a few more seconds before he nodded, changing his attention back to the night show above them. However, there wasn't a smile or a smirk on his face this time. Had he said something wrong?

Emerald eyes decided to look back at the sky, too. The welcoming and warm bubble that surrounded them before had burst, and now, tension filled the air. The blue hero frowned, upset with himself for ruining the mood. His eyes bore figurative holes into the celestial bodies above their heads until it finally clicked.

His heart clenched as he also remembered the Ark incident. Shadow had lost his sister and best friend to some soldiers, who thought the black hedgehog was a breathing weapon. Fifty years enclosed in some container, stuffed in a secret corner at a government facility. His rival had awoken to make others pay for his sister's death. Only to find out that his mind and memories were played with…

And Sonic did so, too.

His mind rewinded back through the maze of memories of that _horrible_ day. Everything was about saving Mobius, the home to people, and him, but he was so stuck on that that he failed to see that his rival also needed saving. Saving from _Eggman's_ hands, saving from his haunting memories, saving from his fall… 

Except, Shadow never fell that day.

He felt his heart pick up speed, not from happiness this time, and his throat became dry. 

A burning image of golden dust fading away from the transformed hedgehog, jet black fur taking its place instead, bright red eyes dulled back to a broken crimson, and a sad smile showed as the only sign that Shadow knew he would fall. The black hedgehog knew he wasn't going to make it back as his energy was draining fast. So, it wasn't fair that the striped hedgehog kissed him goodbye, scarring his heart if he knew he wasn't going to make it. 

The stars in the sky taunted him, forcing his mind to go _deeper_ into the memory. He swallowed the dry thickness in his throat. He was supposed to save everyone…

Yet, he wasn't able to. At least, not the first time. 

It took him a second time to do things right, and he did. And this time, he kissed Shadow, healing that scar from the first time. He was happy again. 

Until he learned the consequences of his actions.

He shuddered as he remembered himself in that _form_. He never meant to turn dark. He really didn't. But Knuckles warned him about the risks of exposing himself like that, the grave danger he was to everyone, including himself. 

He originally thought Shadow was the selfish one. The dark hedgehog had stolen his heart from the beginning, but it took a doomsday for him to finally express it to the blue hedgehog. At the brink of his _death_! In what right mind did the striped hedgehog think that that was okay! Had he not thought about how it would affect him afterward?!

But, no, Shadow wasn't the selfish one because he decided to save all those innocent lives, even if it meant dying. Shadow the Hedgehog chose his death _over_ his love. That wasn't selfish.

Sonic was.

He thought about choosing his love over his friends' lives, over people's lives. He wanted to stay with that version of Shadow, the one that loved him back. The one that was smiling back at him and giving Sonic his heart, something so vulnerable. They were going to spend more time with each other. They were going to share more interests. They were going to spend time together, like right now, but actually in each other’s arms. They were going to live together. They were going to wake up to each other’s sleeping faces. They were going to have a future together!

“Sonic, are you alright?”

The blue hero felt the dark hedgehog’s hand, the one next to his, over his peach one, that apparently had been shaking, grasping just enough to bring him back from the endless cycle of pain. Emerald eyes looked next to him, and his breath hitched. 

Shadow was _so_ close to him. 

Their noses were barely touching, crimson eyes filled with worry, and a fingerless glove decided to squeeze his hand. His rival had noticed his unusual behavior. It took so much effort to open his mouth as if it was filled with lead, not letting him erase that worry away from Shadow’s eyes. Because, god, he felt so guilty! 

The Hero of Mobius had learned that deep down he was selfish.

“I-I’m o-okay, yeah, don’t worry about me. It’s just a little colder now that I’m not laughing my ass off with you!”

But, he also learned that he needed to lock away that selfishness, every day pushing himself a little harder in battle, trying to get rid of that awful guilt that only gnawed at his insides and made him feel worse for thinking that through these efforts everyone would forgive him for reasoning, _even_ for a second, that his love for Shadow overpowered his morals, choosing to risk everyone’s life just so _he_ and Shadow could be happy.

“ _Faker_ …”

So, with all his strength, he forced out a laugh, hiding away the pain from his voice.

“Are you sure about not being BFFs?”

The black hedgehog scoffed at him, melting some of the pain away, and rolled his eyes. The agent’s hand still held his peach one, though. 

“I don’t know why I even do this…” 

The blue hedgehog smiled, knowing very well why he did. The broody and stoic hedgehog was never one for showing emotions, stone-cold being his default, but deep down, the guy did have a heart. A beautiful one he had captured but let go of.

“Come on, don’t you believe in the power of friendship?” 

“Is that your team’s super ability?”

Shadow’s hand released his, the warmth following behind, and it was Sonic’s turn to pout. But before he could do anything more, he saw the dark hedgehog take off his jacket and twist his body around to face him. The G.U.N. jacket was wrapped around his shoulders, on top of his smaller red one, while Shadow returned to looking up. Personally, the blue hedgehog did not like to be overstuffed by clothing, feeling trapped under all the material, yet he didn’t shove off the black jacket. Instead, he snuggled into it more, taking a subtle sniff of Shadow’s scent. 

“Isn’t it so for any team?”

“Hm.”

Shadow’s hand returned to his spot, fingers touching his peach-colored nails. It was strange to see his striped rival be so _open_ with him today, especially as the day moved forward and the night arrived. 

It was actually ironic. Under the stars and moon, both hedgehogs managed to stay still for once and soak in the beauty above them, but it was also tragic. It was also in the presence of the moon and stars that Sonic had lost his chances with Shadow, his heart that was temporarily healed was only held together by loose stitches. And every day after the Ark events, it opened, letting all his love bleed away, an endless flow. 

This moment was bittersweet, he concluded.

“Shadow?”

The head of striped quills shifted, emerald eyes catching his rival look at him, and nodded for him to continue. At the corner of his eye, Sonic saw the glinting shine of a golden inhibitor, mocking him for the secrets he kept away from its owner and remembered why he had thought Shadow wearing the jacket was a good idea. With the long sleeves, his emerald eyes weren't able to see them, hidden under that black sleeve, and saved himself from the already clamoring thoughts that bounced in his head. 

“D-do you think I’m a good person?”

A moment of silence breathed between them, their ears taking in the silent night.

“No.”

Blue ears drooped, and his heart dropped lower than Holoska’s temperature.

“You _strive_ to be the best person you can be.”

Sonic was confused. 

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

Shadow shook his head.

“No. One thing is to _be_ a good person, already born with good morals and all. There’s no such thing as being born a good person. I believe that it takes time and experience to try to be that. I would rather make mistakes and learn from them than be told what’s right and wrong from birth, except…”

Sonic followed, and so did his heart.

“...you _were_.”

The Ultimate Lifeform was created with the intention of being controlled, decisions decided for him. Humans had wanted to have a creature that was not flawed. No mistakes in any form.

“But, you, hedgehog, have had the chance from the beginning, and…”

The blue hero’s breath hitched as Shadow placed his whole hand over his peach one on the log. 

“...I admire you for that because deep down, you want to be better than yesterday or the day before. You demonstrate to others that being a hero isn’t always easy, but also difficult, making hard decisions that people look for you to make. It’s not easy to accept the negative consequences if it leads to that, but you still pull through. You learn from that. That’s what makes you…you, Sonic.”

Under the coruscating blanket of stars, the dark hedgehog looked captivating, tan lips pulled into a small delicate smile, crimson eyes pooled with passionate kindness, and Sonic thought he felt soothing waves of chaos energy flow through their touching hands. He had never seen this side to his rival, so up close and personal, almost intimate for even him to witness. But, he was beyond happy that he did, that Shadow let him.

“Are we supposed to kiss now?”

The hand that he had felt was now pushing his face away, almost causing him to fall off the large log and onto freezing snow. A grumbling hedgehog cursed at him for always making stupid comments, getting a laugh out of him, but quick-trained eyes saw the red muzzle that put those crimson stripes to shame. Sure, Sonic meant it as a joke, but he wouldn’t have minded if Shadow had actually decided to kiss him.

After hearing his rival’s colorful language, they decided to head back to the resort and get a good night’s sleep, a long week awaited for them when they returned back home, each to their duties. Both hedgehogs trudged back to the warm and comfortable resort, putting off the bonfire and leaving stars and moon behind, where they would stay awake until the sun decided to kiss them goodbye with its light. 

Up a flight of stairs, down the same hallway, and they arrived at their designated rooms. They were across the hallway, directly in front of each other. Before the blue hero entered his, he heard the deep voice behind him.

“Goodnight, Sonic.”

Smiling, the cobalt hedgehog turned and stared into beautiful reds.

“Goodnight, Shadow.”

His blue body eagerly rested on the large bed, noticing that Shadow hadn’t asked for his jacket back, and decided to sleep with it that night, the dark rival would probably want it back the next morning. That night, Sonic slept peacefully, no nightmares about space stations, a falling golden hedgehog, or the dark navy double of himself. No, instead, he dreamt of white snow, of a deep, rumbling laugh, of crimson shades, and for the first time in a long time, of the glimmering night sky. 

Holoska was always a beautiful place, in his opinion. From the glowing fires to the colorful strings of light hanging on every home. Yet, he felt that tonight was beyond beautiful, it was marvelous! 

With last thoughts about thanking Shadow for joining and sharing their time together leaving his tired mind, Sonic shifted once more, black jacket covering him, and finally let sleep take him in for a peaceful rest. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadow has a hard time figuring out his thoughts and feelings about a certain blue hedgehog under a dark night sky...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Shadow's pov of the same scene, and honestly, I think it was a difficult concept for me. I have never done the double perspective thing, but I gave it a try and have fulfilled my promise. Sorry, it took so long, though. 
> 
> Before you start though, I want to give a big thank you to @solstice34 for helping me with this chapter. It was a difficult one to get through, but she managed to spot my mistakes and suggested ideas on how to make this chapter work better :D Thank you for appreciating this story and giving it all your love <3

It had been a while since the dark hedgehog had been out and about, without a familiar white bat or a large destruction-lover robot joining him when he explored places out of the city. It had been even longer since the agent was able to stop his pursuits after leads on the Robotnik scientist or be crammed into his office back at HQ, filling out never-ending reports. But now, he was finally able to let go of his wariness and remove his mind from making calculative moves, shutting out any thoughts about work and saving the world. 

Right now, Shadow only cared to relax, letting his shoulders slouch for once, and enjoy the company of the friend that was sitting next to him.

Sonic had managed to find him, most likely due to the bat’s help, and invited him to the Ice Fest, a year-round event that puts Holoska in the spotlight. They went early in the morning, running under the barely peeking sun and carrying their feet from stall to stall and race to race throughout the rest of the day. Shadow had actually enjoyed the festivities of the ice village, and he found himself stopping at certain spots to admire the beauty of it all. Homes were decorated with lights and flowers, something that was uncommon in Holoska but managed to make the village even more unique. Of course, there was also delicious food, ranging anything between sweetness and spiciness in the native dishes the people served. 

He took a particular liking to cardamom buns, the flavors having a great balance and the texture being so soft. The blue hedgehog had suggested it to him, a radiant smile plastered on the hero’s face as he waited for Shadow’s reaction when he took his first bite. His taste buds were delighted with the new pastry, practically falling in love with it, but of course, he only told Sonic that it was good. Shadow had always been less expressive about things like that, committing himself to one-worded answers, but that didn’t stop Sonic from teasing him, something about knowing him very well.

However, the striped hedgehog’s mind went back to the variety of activities they did for the majority of the day. Many of them consisted of contests that they both had definitely wanted to try, their rivalry still a predominant thing that connected them at the end of it all. It was all friendly, though it didn’t stop either hedgehog from giving the other a rough time when one of them lost. Their snarky remarks and jabs were always necessary in their friendship, and one of the main reasons why they picked up a crowd along the way.

At first, Shadow had felt uncomfortable with so many eyes on him, but the hero had managed to distract him long enough for the agent to forget that there were even people there. A strange thing, really. The dark hedgehog had always felt similarly when he was next to the blue hedgehog, and it only deepened his curiosity for the other one, something he hadn’t done since…

Since Maria.

His red eyes focused back on the sight in front of him, a luminous white moon staring back at him from up high. The night sky was breathtaking, every star glowing as bright as it could, showering the small village below with light. Shadow loved it, mostly because back in the city, it was harder to find a place where the artificial lighting wouldn’t obstruct the natural shine of the stars above. The striped hedgehog had strong opinions about light pollution, something that very few people knew about, but he was lucky enough to have had a young girl teach him about it.

Shadow remembered very well how his crimson eyes caught sight of a small child, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He would only catch sight of her when an older man, who he soon learned was Gerald, came in to personally check on him, watching his vitals and physical progress. As time went on, the young girl had left her spot from Gerald’s feet and approached him instead, tiny footsteps muffled by the capsule’s green substance. Unlike the cold stares and reserved behavior from the others aboard the Ark, the girl only looked at him with curiosity, wide eyes watching him, and it only made the dark hedgehog more interested in the human as well. 

Maria.

That was her name. Shadow had learned it from her, who had brought a paper in hand that day, and she pressed it against the glass for him to see. The Ultimate Lifeform never remembered being taught to read, but his mind had somehow automatically figured it out, thinking it was another effect from being born so…perfect, no mistakes in his DNA. Instead of dwelling on that, his mind shifted to the moments that happened after learning Maria’s name. More visits ensued and more papers were brought, along with some crayons and books. With their shared time, Maria had managed to become more confident, her small hand touching the glass longer, enough for him to align it with hers, but when Shadow heard her voice, it was nothing but soothing and warm. 

His dark ears would always look out for that voice, in particular, finding it among the monotones of others. With Maria, he felt completely different, no longer an experiment but rather a person just like her. Maria showed him many things, which only raised his interest in her more, and once he was able to move around without the white-coated figures’ watch, she took him to explore the Ark. Shadow had learned that the observational windows were her favorite.

He smiled.

Clearly, she influenced his likings as a young hedgehog, but he didn’t care. Shadow missed her very much. From her blue eyes to her laugh, but especially, her voice, it made him feel safe and happy. Something about her voice distracted him long enough to forget about the needles, the cold stares, and the testing, even if just for a moment, and enjoy the time he was spending with her.

Sonic made him feel a similar way. 

The blue hedgehog, however, intensified the feeling. Unlike with Maria, his heart didn’t need to be approached cautiously. He felt the connection with the hero immediately, there was no hesitation, no doubt, that Sonic was someone he could completely trust. It had scared the striped hedgehog at first, figuring out how it was even possible to feel such a way with someone if he’d never met them before, but like with many things, Shadow decided to leave it alone. 

After all, the hero saw something in him that day on the Ark, something strange that the agent still had a hard time learning what it was, but it allowed them to become who they were now, friends.

That was what they were always going to be... 

“Thank you for taking your time to bring me here to experience this.”

Shadow caught the sound of a small laugh, finding it adorable just like the many others he had heard before, and his heart did it again, hung onto the sound as if it was the most important thing in the world. 

“First, you let me get close enough to you without getting a broken nose, and now you’re thanking me for spending time with my favorite rival. Who are you, and what have you done with the real Shadow?”

The dark hedgehog frowned, remembering how close he sat next to his rival, shoulder to shoulder, on the spacious log. At first, it was done without a second thought, but once he realized how close he really was to Sonic, it was hard to move away. Shadow wanted to bathe in the warmth that radiated from the blue hedgehog, another thing that tickled his mind about having done it before…

“It’s called having manners, hedgehog, unlike you…”

His ears heard the loud voice next to him.

“How _dare_ you?! I’ll have you know that I am nothing but a gentleman!”

Shadow looked over to the other hedgehog, smirking at the ridiculousness behind that statement. Of all his time knowing the blue hedgehog, he was sure the other one didn’t even know the definition of the word gentleman.

“Is that right? Then how come I always hear Rose complaining about your horrible table manners, something about chewing with your mouth open and putting your feet on the tab—”

“That’s not true!”

His crimson eyes narrowed on his blue counterpart, knowing that he had said enough to offend the other, but was it really offensive if Sonic was lying about it? In that case, his mind thought of something that would surely leave the other no choice but to answer with the truth, even though Shadow already knew it. It was still fun to get the other worked up about these small things, though.

“So, you’re calling her a liar?”

Just as he figured, the cobalt speedster took his time to think about it. This could go in two ways, Sonic either finally accepts he has horrible manners or digs his own grave if Shadow hears a slip up about the pink hedgehog. He hoped it was the latter Sonic chose. The agent saw how multiple emotions flashed in those emerald eyes.

“N-no…but sometimes, she exaggerates her point, you know.”

As he carefully chose his words, Shadow saw the mortified look that was on the hero’s face, a sign that he was indeed right. Sonic the Hedgehog was scared of Amy Rose, the pink heroine that wielded a powerful hammer as if it were made out of nothing but plastic. Heck, even Shadow was impressed with the pink hedgehog’s strength, but of course, he didn’t put much thought into it because Sonic the Hedgehog was scared of Amy, one of the hero’s closest friends. How amusing and _fortunate_ for him… 

Even as he thought about just teasing his rival, Shadow couldn’t help but let out a laugh at the mental image of a blue hedgehog cowering under the pink hedgehog’s wrath, a sight he would pay to see and he was sure a certain princess would too.

“Hey! It’s not funny! Besides, since when do you and Amy share gossip? She’s always too busy to make me her famous red velvet cake these days…”

Shadow relaxed again, taking his time, and removed his hands from his pockets. He had forgotten how cold it could get here in Holoska, which wasn’t a problem with him since the cold didn’t affect him like other mobians, but he remembered how Sonic was wearing a red one. It fitted the hero well, blue contrasting red in the right ways, and so, he decided to bring his own along the way.

“We don’t _gossip_ , and for your information, Blaze and her always come over on Sundays for brunch…and she always makes _me_ her famous red velvet cake.”

Continuing to taunt the other, the dark hedgehog had felt something bloom in his chest as their conversation continued. All this felt…playful. Adorable even, which was disturbing but not in the wrong way. No, Shadow had this feeling dawn on him many times before, a similar one he felt when he saw Sonic for the first time. 

“And _she_ complains about me!” 

A dark ear tilted when he heard the outburst and snickered at the hero’s outcry. Maybe the feeling was trying to tell him something, but that could wait, right now he was too busy embracing this moment with his rival. A really good moment.

“Jokes aside, how are the girls?”

Hearing the hero’s question, Shadow sighed and thought back to the two heroines. They were in a relationship that the agent had long suspected would happen, even before Amy had figured it out and Blaze had decided to pursue it. The love between them was obvious, he thought, but there were also their ups and downs as a couple…

“They’re doing better now.”

And they were, Blaze had sought him out many times for help and advice, which now that he thought about it was quite unusual. How would he know anything about romantic relationships? Crimson eyes stared at the moon, expecting some kind of answer from it. He’d never been in one, yet it felt like he had at some point…

“Funny, they say we’re the stubborn ones, huh?”

Shadow smiled at hearing that, remembering how the girls were a strange pair. Would Sonic and him be like that if they become partners? It wouldn’t change much of their current relationship as friends then. More importantly, why did he care? He shoved all the _preposterous_ thoughts that were invading him tonight and focused on the present.

And reality, he silently told himself.

“I completely agree with you on that, faker.”

Crimson eyes decided to keep his focus on the pale moon, getting momentarily lost in its shine. With one ear, he caught the sound of movement and then something else. Shadow didn’t need to look down to know that it was the hero’s hand that was so close to his. They weren’t touching but it was enough for him to feel the warmth that was licking at his bare fingertips.

The last time he got this close with someone, she had died.

The thud of her body falling to the ground and blood seeping through her blue---

"Look at us! We're agreeing now! Should I start calling you my bff?"

Just as fast as those words left peach lips, Shadow quickly turned to face Sonic, puzzled at what he just possibly heard. The agent was getting distracted easily today, so he must have misheard the blue hedgehog. Right? This hedgehog didn’t just call him his _best_ friend, did he?

Before he even had the chance of voicing out any of these questions, he was assaulted by the purest sound he had ever heard in a long time. The blue hedgehog doubled over and hugged his stomach. Crimson eyes saw the small fangs that poked out, absentmindedly thinking they were cute, and Shadow was pleased to know that he could cause such a joyous outburst from his friend.

"Y-you should have s-seen your f-face…it's s-so h-hil…oh god…I j-just can't!"

Sonic’s happiness drifted towards him in soothing waves, his mind is cleansed of any dark thoughts and gifted with the wonderful laugh of his rival. It was all endearing to him, and Shadow couldn’t help but smile at it all.

"Are you done?"

The blue hedgehog settled down and gave him his signature grin. Crimson eyes saw the thumbs up that came next; the most common expression that the Hero of Mobius gave to everyone. But no matter how many times he saw it up close or in a fleeting moment, the dark hedgehog never was able to control the blush that made its way onto his muzzle. 

"Come on, Shadz, you're telling me we don't have anything in common?"

Shadow thought about it for a moment before staring blankly at his rival.

"No."

That was the biggest lie he had ever told in his life.

"Oh yeah, what about running? Or sparring? Or competing? Or---"

The agent frowned at hearing the suggestions for a moment. They did many of those things, but Shadow was rather more fond of the times they shared at the flower field, making flower crowns or just resting under the sun.

"Those are just physical activities that I endure with you because I still can't find another person that is able to keep up with me."

But like everything he did, it was something that he should keep to himself. After all, Sonic most likely spent his time with others doing better things than making flower crowns… 

Was Shadow even worthy of the little time he was given by the blue hedgehog?

"All I'm hearing is excuses! Plus, I'm pretty sure _we_ share other interests."

Shadow swallowed and wondered if the hedgehog sitting next to him was reading his mind. 

"Name one."

"There's…"

The silence that followed answered his question. He was an idiot for thinking about those small moments with the hero. It was ridiculous to think so since it had been quite a long time that he last went to visit the field with the blue hedgehog. G.U.N had been piling missions on top of more missions, and due to his role in Team Dark, it was quite impossible for him to find time in it all. Slowly realizing that that hero was stuck on his thoughts, he turned to face the moon. 

There was nothing that would ever connect him and Sonic…

"I told you—"

"Stargazing!"

The agent was startled by Sonic’s loud voice. His eyes blinked at his counterpart for a second.

"What?"

"We both like to stargaze!"

Glancing at the outstretched finger, he found himself lost, troubled and happy. Many emotions made their way through his heart and flashes of a familiar observational window came to mind. Under those emerald eyes, Shadow didn’t know what to do or say, feeling his mouth open but close without saying something.

Sonic managed to figure something about him…about _themselves_. And not even Shadow knew about it.

"How did you figure it out?"

"U-uh, you always mocked my lack of knowledge for star constellations, so…yeah I just guessed since you corrected me all the time, you must have spent a lot of time looking at the night sky to remember all that…"

Red eyes saw the hero become nervous, a clear sign given by the pink tint that dusted his pale cheeks. Stargazing. He felt his heart tightened at the thought of Maria and him sitting down together, watching the stars from their place on the Ark. As all his thoughts scurried through his mind about his past, one managed to triumphantly make him freeze. Afraid that his voice would come out unstable, he nodded towards the hero and looked away.

Sometimes, the black hedgehog allowed himself to return to those times. The ones where he still had his sister and managed to get through every day of constant torture. Maria had been the only one that pushed him through the darkness, a sort of beacon that shined her light on him. Under it, he felt safe and at peace. 

The hero that sat next to him was the only other that was able to make him feel that again. Now that he thought about it, Sonic continued to share many similarities with his sister, the one human that respected him from the beginning. They were rivals from the start, but even Shadow knew that they held some sort of respect for one another. It wasn’t always that the agent found others that matched him in every way.

And that just made it harder for him to accept this _friendship_ with Sonic. 

He lived to fulfill a purpose, making sure Maria survived, but there were always those that saw him as a dangerous weapon and nothing else. Shadow hated those people a lot. So, he wasn’t surprised to figure that they would try to take him in and keep him contained.

But in all their effort to do so, they had killed his sister, who had cared for him all his time, and gotten away with keeping it all hidden from the public, learning months later that all those soldiers that attacked them were sworn into secrecy. Shadow became lost and pained at what continued, his awakening and destruction after fifty years in a stasis pod. 

He was used for wrong and manipulated into doing someone else’s dirty work. Gerald had twisted his memories into thinking that Maria wanted revenge for her death, a filthy lie he believed until he realized the truth almost too late. 

He released a shaky breath, hoping his blue rival didn’t hear it. The last thing Shadow wanted was to experience an episode in front of the hero, ruining whatever quiet and peaceful moment they were having. But it was just hard to still know that he had broken Maria’s promise from the beginning and hurt someone like Sonic.

Sonic didn’t deserve to be hurt. The Hero of Mobius was saving lives and helping those in need since his young childhood. The hedgehog didn’t care how bad someone was or how much damage they had done, because a second chance was always waiting to be given to them by the hero. Sonic proved to be the opposite of Shadow in many ways.

Where he saw himself as a monster and nothing else, Sonic was a hero and savior to all. The hedgehog was almost an angel, sent from the heavens above to grace this world with his devotion to protect it at all costs.

An angel…

The memory was faint and almost indistinguishable, something Shadow hated, but he still managed to remember how a golden glow surrounded the cobalt fur. Emerald green became a flaming red, putting his own to shame, and quills upturned that made Sonic look even more ethereal. Shadow had been honored to see such a sight.

But that had been the only thing he remembered perfectly, the fight against the giant Biolizard being blurry to him. Both hedgehogs had returned back safely and celebrated their victory. That was the start of their connection, continuing on to become allies and soon, what many didn’t think possible, friends.

His heart had a difficult time still accepting that last part, and Shadow was scared to understand why.

Releasing another sigh, regretting to drown in all those thoughts, the black hedgehog glanced to his side, expecting to see an impatient hedgehog. Instead, he was faced with a confused one. He saw a troubled look on the hero’s face and looked down at peach hands, only to frown at the shakiness in them. 

“Faker?”

No answer.

“Sonic…”

Whatever his blue rival was thinking about, it was clearly something deep and made the hero upset. Worry continued to bite at him as Sonic didn’t react to his first name being called out, and so, Shadow took matters into his own hands. The agent scooted closer and reached out to touch the trembling, peach hand.

“Sonic, are you alright?”

This time the blue hedgehog heard him as he came face to face with familiar green orbs. There was a tinge of sadness in them and all he wanted was to make it go away. Shadow squeezed the peach hand in an effort to comfort the other, once more proving to himself that he cared about Sonic in ways he never thought he would do. 

“I-I’m o-okay, yeah, don’t worry about me. It’s just a little colder now that I’m not laughing my ass off with you!”

It was obvious that the cobalt hedgehog was lying. Shadow also didn’t like it when people lied to him, especially Sonic, someone who had shown nothing but his true self to the agent. Why should now be any different?

“ _Faker_ …”

Emerald eyes stared at him for a second before laughing erupted from those soft lips. Dark ears twitched as he heard it. It didn’t sound like the first one he heard…

“Are you sure about not being bffs?”

The cloud of worry that had hovered over him had evaporated as he took in the hero’s comment. He playfully scoffed at the mention of the term again.

“I don’t know why I even do this…” 

Another small smile graced peach lips.

“Come on, don’t you believe in the power of friendship?” 

“Is that your team’s super ability?”

Shadow let go of his rival’s hand. Making sure to be careful with his quills, he took off his jacket, and without giving it a second thought, he turned to place it on blue shoulders. He avoided the other’s gaze and immediately turned to the night sky, hoping that the hero didn’t question his sudden behavior. 

He swore he was getting softer because of this darn hedgehog…

“Isn’t it so for any team?”

“Hm.”

Adjusting back into his spot, he decided to indulge a little today and placed his hands back on the log. His fingertips made contact with the hero’s and he internally sighed as he didn’t hear a remark from the other. Shadow relaxed again and embraced the silence that was gifted to him.

Moments like these were rare nowadays, more reason to welcome them no matter how much he didn’t want to. Shadow would reprimand himself tomorrow, but now, he needed to relish the simplest of nights with his rival.

Holoska had just become his favorite place to visit now…

“Shadow?”

Hearing his name, the striped hedgehog looked over and gestured to the other that he heard him.

“D-do you think I’m a good person?”

He frowned at the unsuspecting question but thought about it for a moment. A good person was many things to many people. Sonic seemed to be one to most of Mobius, but the Ultimate Lifeform learned a great difference in what Sonic was asking and what he needed to hear right now.

“No.”

The hero was _better_ than that.

“You _strive_ to be the best person you can be.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

Shadow shook his head.

“No. One thing is to _be_ a good person, already born with good morals and all. There’s no such thing as being born a good person. I believe that it takes time and experience to try to be that. I would rather make mistakes and learn from them than be told what’s right and wrong from birth, except…”

All his feelings of the night were dawning on him at that moment, and he realized how open he was this particular night. Sonic was easily tearing down his walls as every day passed by; it was the most frightening thing in the world for him. The power that the hero held to cause him to release all these thoughts into words was beyond his understanding, even more, when it was about serious things. 

Shadow even still had trouble with opening like this to Rouge and Omega. However, he was keeping a good relationship with two time travelers and a certain red wolf. But even then, nothing compared to how effortlessly he laid out his heart to the one person he thought would hate him for causing so many problems to his home.

He focused back on the hedgehog next to him.

“...you _were_.”

He silently agreed with the hero. Created to be perfect, Shadow still held flaws, ones that he couldn’t change because he didn’t learn or was taught how to. But the person sitting next to him…

“But, you, hedgehog, have had the chance from the beginning, and…”

The blue hedgehog had already unlocked so many of his metaphorical closed doors that he didn’t see why he shouldn’t risk it one more time. Taking charge, the dark hand was placed over Sonic’s whole one, and without stuttering and pushing ahead of his racing heart, Shadow confessed a side of him to the person he cherished most by now.

“...I admire you for that because deep down, you want to be better than yesterday or the day before. You demonstrate to others that being a hero isn’t always easy, but also difficult, making hard decisions that people look for you to make. It’s not easy to accept the negative consequences if it leads to that, but you still pull through. You learn from that. That’s what makes you…you, Sonic.”

Silence filled the air after his heartfelt revelation. That didn’t matter though because it gave him time to admire the blue hero up close without interruptions. Emerald eyes shined brighter than the stars above and the growing smile on peach lips made it hard to resist not touching them. Shadow wanted to feel them with his fingers, find out how soft they really were…

“Are we supposed to kiss now?”

Yet Sonic being Sonic, he was presented with another cheeky remark, mostly embarrassing since he had been thinking of those peach lips for a moment. Shadow felt the blood rushing to his cheeks, most likely sporting a bright red hue, so he pushed the other away to hide his face. For good measure, he started to swear at the hero for making such ridiculous remarks. All he got in response was laughter which made him blush even more, but deep down, he didn’t really mind if it meant hearing that beautiful sound.

Before long, they both decided to head back to the resort that they were staying in for the night. To be honest, that had been one of the most surprising things that the hero had wanted today. Spending the night at Holoska, it had been a stuttered suggestion from Sonic, who also wore a blush at the time. Shadow had found it adorable, but he couldn’t deny that his heart had also swelled with happiness at the idea of doing this with the hero.

Both of them trudged up the stairs and made their way to their respective rooms. Although they spent the whole day together, Shadow didn’t feel like going to bed just yet. The striped hedgehog had to _forcefully_ drag his body to his door, his heart being a similar problem, but before he entered the threshold, Shadow gave the hero two more words.

“Goodnight, Sonic.”

Seeing precious greens glance at him, he smiled at his rival.

“Goodnight, Shadow.”

He saw the blue hedgehog enter his room, adoring the sight of his jacket on the cobalt fur for a moment before disappearing into his own assigned room. Shadow walked over to his bed and sat down on the white covers. Deciding to do it, the striped hedgehog closed his eyes and concentrated on his surroundings, looking for a familiar chaos energy signature. Slowly, he found it and smiled when he realized that the usual hectic waves were calm. 

Sonic was sleeping.

Happy to know that his rival was sound asleep, Shadow took cover under the blankets and shifted the pillow before finally resting. He peeked at the window across, a moon still shining out in the dark sky. For the first time, the dark hedgehog had been too busy focusing on something else to find out that the night was beautiful indeed.

But it was kind of hard to focus on that when he had a lovelier sight sitting next to him...

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'A Night Out in Holoska' builds on the more emotional aspect of S & L. In this fic, I explored Sonic's mounting guilt and Shadow's growing confusion on the events of the ARK. The boys are both experiencing something difficult, and they can only soothe all that pain by being with each other. To many of you, I hope this takes you back to the moment they created their bond under the stars in S & L, in which their hearts connected. Shadow's side explores this concept more than Sonic's. Furthermore, I would like to say that Shadow's memories will become a very important part of how his friendship/relationship with Sonic continues to unravel in S & L. One thing I can say is that Shadow doesn't like to have his mind messed with so...
> 
> With that being said, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter and learned more about how the hedgehogs are getting closer to the 'truth' in a sense. Thank you for giving this a read and continuing to support S & L <3

**Author's Note:**

> Love is so complicated...
> 
> Comment below if I should write this in Shadow's perspective :)
> 
> Discord: https://discord.gg/AWrmNyfgNK


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